Politics

Tinubu’s $460,000 US Tax: APC, PDP Campaigns In Verbal War

Published

3 years ago

November 11, 2022

The All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Campaign Councils, PCCs, were at each other’s jugular yesterday, over the $460,000 deducted from the accounts of the APC Presidential flagbearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the United States of America, U.S.

The Chief Spokesman of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Festus Keyamo said that the $460,000 was tax deducted from one of the 10 accounts linked to Tinubu and pooh-poohed the documents he attributed to the PDP, which are circulating in the social media, which accused Tinubu of drug deals while he lived in the US.

However, the PDP insisted that Tinubu has a lot of explanations to do and dismissed what it described as Keyamo’s “spirited attempts” to deflect attention from his principal’s questionable past.

$460,000 deducted was for tax on Tinubu’s investments – KEYAMO

Keyamo said $460,000 was deducted from one of the 10 accounts linked to the APC presidential candidate as tax on investment domiciled in US banks, while he lived in America in the 1990s.

Keyamo, who spoke on Channels’ Television’s ”Today Politics” programme on Wednesday night, insisted that there was no criminal indictment or conviction against Tinubu, alleging that the opposition PDP was behind the reincarnation of the controversial court document.

“His (Tinubu’s) detractors kept bringing up these issues over and over whenever his political profile is rising. Whenever he wants to run for office or any political turn in his life, they will bring up these issues,” Keyamo said.

“The date on the papers flying up and down, the date of certification is 2022, so they are using this to confuse people that these are fresh papers.

”If documents are 40 years old or 100 years old, once you go to court, and apply for certified true copies of those documents, they will give you those documents but they will stamp the day they are giving you those documents.

“This is what our detractors, the PDP, perhaps, that is what they went to the US for when they pretended that they went for high-level engagement. This is part of the high-level engagement they went for.”

Keyamo also said although 10 accounts were linked to Tinubu by United States authorities in the early 90s, $460,000 were deducted from one of the accounts as tax on investments domiciled in US banks.

He was reacting to the controversy surrounding a document recently released by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said to have investigated Tinubu’s alleged involvement in narcotics and money laundering about 30 years ago.

The matter, which ended in a settlement, led to Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in one of the accounts linked to the former governor of Lagos State.

Keyamo said Tinubu took responsibility for all the 10 accounts because some were also traced to his mother and “relatives.”

He also said Tinubu was roped into the drug trafficking case of two Nigerians, who once stayed in separate flats in the same building where the ex-governor stayed at a time in the US.

“He, Asiwaju, went to open an account, the address by which he opened the account was already used by these people…investigated for narcotics,” he said.

‘Not a deliberate act’

Keyamo further stated that Tinubu was an employee of Mobil Oil and not a treasurer of a drug cartel.

He explained that Tinubu deposited some funds in bank accounts in the US as investments and got returns on those investments.

The spokesman said the banks were supposed to deduct taxes from the investments but they did not and this was not a “deliberate act” on the part of Tinubu.

“The deposits he made there (in banks) are what bankers called investments; he kept the money there and he was getting interests.

”They (the US government) said he had not paid tax on those interests. That is all. And guess what? The banks are supposed to deduct the tax from source.

“Out of the 10 accounts, it was only one account – the one in Heritage Bank – that they took $460,000 as tax on interest that he benefited on the investment he made in those accounts.

“In fact, all the money in Heritage Bank was not taken; they took only $460,000 as tax,” said Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State, Labour and Employment.

Tinubu has questions to answer over forfeiture, PDP insists

However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, said in a telephone interview with Vanguard, in response to Keyamo’s allegations that the PDP exhumed documents in a vain attempt to make Tinubu appear guilty of a crime for forfeiting US$460,000 believed to be proceeds of illicit drugs trade that, “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t be responding to Keyamo or the APC on this issue but Nigerians deserve to know the truth about people, who are seeking for public office.

“In this case, not just public office but also the highest office in the land. It is a basic principle in law that ‘He who must come to equity must do so with clean hands.’

“What Nigerians are saying is that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu should come clean of these allegations.

“If one may ask Keyamo, who by the way is a lawyer, what does forfeiture mean? A simple dictionary definition of forfeiture means: ‘loss or giving up of something as a penalty for wrongdoing.‘ simply put, You don’t forfeit if no offence was committed.

“Tinubu and the APC should stop trying to make the PDP a scapegoat. They should speak on the issues.

“I’m glad Keyamo did not say PDP manufactured the documents, he said the documents were ‘exhumed,’ which means, they exist.

“Nigerians deserve answers and we hope the APC and its presidential candidate are ready with the answers because these issues will not simply disappear.

“For us in the PDP, we are ready for the task ahead, that is why we have been campaigning, selling our candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who need little or no introduction.

“Nigerians deserve the best and our candidates stand head above shoulders in comparison to the others; that is why they deserve the votes of Nigerians in February, 2023.”
VANGUARD

Politics

Two PDP, LP Reps Dump Parties For APC

Published

15 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on Tuesday lost one lawmaker each in the House of Representatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors — Hon. Peter Akpanke and Hon. Paul Nnamchi — formally announced their switch during plenary, with their defection letters read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Akpanke, who was elected on the PDP platform, represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwara Federal Constituency of Cross River State. Nnamchi, elected under the LP, represents Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State.

Both lawmakers attributed their defections to internal crises within their former parties and their desire to support and align with the policies and programmes of the APC-led Federal Government.

Their decision was greeted with applause by APC members in the chamber, as Speaker Abbas congratulated the duo on their new political move.

Politics

JUST IN: SDP Suspends National Chairman Gabam, Auditor, Youth Leader

Published

16 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approved the immediate suspension of the National Chairman of the Party, Shehu Gabam, along with two members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Chukwuma Uchechukwu, National Youth Leader, over allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation and diversion of party funds.

Their suspension was contained in a statement issued and made available to Vanguard by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba.

It reads, “The decision followed resolutions made by members of the National Working Committee (NWC), where overwhelming evidences were presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorized financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without any approvals of the NWC.

“This development first came to light when it was discovered that the National Chairman had sent an unauthorised Financial Statement to INEC as demanded from all political parties.

“A summary of the fraudulent account was also published in the Newspapers. When the NWC got to know this, it made a resolution to report the fraudulent abnormalities to law enforcement agencies.

“The action of the NWC to suspend the National Chairman and two members of the NWC involved in the gross financial misconduct will also demonstrate to the general public that the Party, generally esteemed by Nigerians as a disciplined party and a credible alternative political platform for national redemption has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.”

According to Aiyenigba, “The decision to suspend the National Chairman and other implicated NWC members is to allow for a thorough, investigation. Our integrity as a political party must be upheld at all times,” the statement read.

“An interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend further disciplinary or legal actions.

“In the interim, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar has assumed leadership of the party as Acting National Chairman as per the provisions of the Constitution of the party.”

Aiyenigba alleged that “the misappropriated funds amount to hundreds of millions of naira, including donations and resources realised from the sales of nomination forms in the 2023 general elections and other funds from the party accounts.

“The suspension of these officers has been communicated to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and all relevant agencies.”

He said that “the suspension of Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, Nze Nnadi Clarkson, and Uchechukwu Ogbonna Chukwuma takes immediate effect.”

Politics

Drama As PDP Staff Shut Offices, Reject Anyanwu’s Return

Published

18 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

In a dramatic fashion, management and staff of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretariat, yesterday shut their offices and staged a mass walkout in protest against Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s attempt to forcibly reclaim his position as national secretary.

The protest came after the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, appointed Setonji Koshodeo as acting National Secretary, an appointment the staff had earlier pledged to support.

According to multiple sources who spoke to Vanguard in Abuja, Anyanwu arrived at the party headquarters with suspected thugs and tried to take control of the national secretary’s office.

But staff members, determined not to recognise or work with him, quickly mobilised and vacated the premises, leaving Anyanwu stranded and visibly embarrassed.

One of the protesting staff members said: “Anyanwu and his people entered the building. It wasn’t just an attempt, they actually went straight into the national secretary’s office with some of his aides.”

As the standoff continued, the PDP secretariat remained deserted, with staff insisting they would not return until Anyanwu vacated the office.

The protest was a show of loyalty to the NWC. Back in May, the staff had publicly pledged to support the committee’s decision, insisting that Koshoedo’s appointment followed the party’s internal procedures.

Another source revealed that Anyanwu was later advised by his aides to leave quietly to avoid further humiliation.

“We had all left our offices and walked out in protest. That firm action led to his exit,” the source said.

Explaining further, the staff added: “When he realised the atmosphere was hostile and there was no one left to work with, apart from the few people he came with, his aides advised him to leave, rather than remain in such an awkward situation.”

The incident has triggered accusations within the party, with some staff alleging that Anyanwu is a ‘mole’ planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to cause chaos within the PDP, ahead of the 2027 elections.

Although unconfirmed, these allegations have added to growing tension within the party.

The walkout has raised fresh concerns about the PDP’s internal unity and its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

As the main opposition party, some fear its credibility could suffer if the leadership crisis is not quickly resolved.

The situation highlighted the growing factionalisation within the party and the challenge of staying united.

The PDP has not yet issued an official statement on the matter. Attempts to reach the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his phone.